Girl Scouts Receive Bronze Award for Buddy Benches

The end of summer can mean many things for people. For parents, it can be filled with last minute school shopping and for kids, it can be that last pool party or a final trip to the beach. For Girl Scout Troop 445, the end of their summer wasn’t spent worrying about those things; instead, the end of summer for them was spent working on a project that would be a welcome back present for elementary students in Colleton County. Troop 445 began their Junior Scouts Bronze Award workshop at the end of summer, where

they sanded, designed, and painted “buddy benches” to donate to each elementary school in Colleton County. The benches were made and donated by Ernie Willis, a longtime community supporter for the Troop, Willis has helped in past projects as well. The troop spent many of their final hours of summer working out of labor and love to create beautiful benches for the students to enjoy throughout the years. This project was done for the Troop’s Bronze Award, which can only be achieved if the troop creates a way to encourage friendship in schools. According to Troop 445, this project had a special meaning to each of them as it taught them things such as team work, life skills, extending friendships, and doing good with their sister scouts. The project was headed by the Junior Leader, Jocelyn Lawrence, who spent time organizing and

coordinating all the logistics for the project. The Junior’s for Troop 445 include rising 6th graders Lilly Williams, Snikhadha Sinha, Madison McMillian, Megan Miller, Montaya Reese, Charity Patterson, Chastity Patterson, Harly Bargas, and Kennedy Owens. The benches were completed the week before Colleton County Schools began and delivered to Cottageville Elementary School, Northside Elementary, Bells Elementary School, Forest Hills Elementary, and Hendersonville Elementary School’s on August 17th, the Back to School night. After the benches were complete Girl Scouts Troop 445 received their Bronze Award, which is one of the high honors a scout can receive. According to Troop Leader, Debra Benton, “These benches are a safe way for shy children or for children unable to ask to play with someone. The child sits on the bench if they have no one to play and another child then sees this child on the bench has no one to play with or two children can sit on the bench to learn neither has someone to play with and they could play together. This is designed to help children make friends. The Junior Girl Scouts feel this bench will help everyone be friends as part of the promise for Girl Scouts is to help people at all times.”